Maureen O’Connell

Maureen O’Connell is a global business executive, Chief Financial Officer and corporate director recognized for significant value creation through strategic initiatives in a variety of industries including media, education, digital, retail, technology, professional services, biotech, pharma, homebuilding, real estate and insurance.

From 2007 to 2017, Ms. O’Connell, served as the Chief Financial Officer of Scholastic Corporation, the world's largest publisher and distributor of children's books. In her role as Chief Financial Officer, Ms. O’Connell had significant experience licensing rights, partnering with trademark and copyright owners and overseeing the protection and assertion of rights on a world basis. Earlier in her career, Ms. O’Connell served as President and Chief Operating Officer of the Gartner Group the world's leading research and advisory company which has developed more than 300,000 business case studies of intellectual property since 1979.

Maureen O’Connell has received numerous and diverse awards including CFO Studio’s CFO World Class Award in 2017, Treasury and Risk magazine’s 30 Outstanding Women in Business in 2012 and Irish Voice’s Top 75 Influential Women in 2009.

Ms. O’Connell also served as an independent director, audit committee chair and transaction committee chair at Sucampo Pharmaceuticals, a biopharmaceutical company focused on the development and commercialization of highly specialized medicines, from 2013 to 2018 when it was acquired by Mallinckrodt in a $1.2 billion transaction. At Sucampo, Ms. O’Connell played a key role in evaluating the acquisition of highly specialized medicines in development resulting in the acquisition of two companies. She is currently an independent director at Harte-Hanks Inc. and previously served on the board of directors of Beazer Homes USA Inc.

Maureen graduated Magna Cum Laude with a B.S. in Accounting and Economics (dual major) from New York University Stern School of Business in 1985 and is a Certified Public Accountant.

Maureen is Chair of the Arix Remuneration Committee and also sits on the Strategy & Investment and Audit Committees.